Despite the rag-picker community playing a crucial role in recycling, reducing waste, and conserving resources, the work accomplished by these not-so-fortune humans often goes unnoticed and without any supplementary monetary aid by any of the government agencies or even a private entity.
Like many metropolitan cities, Jammu and its nearby areas also have a good number of rag pickers as could be seen in places having gigantic garbage dumping sites in the wee hours of the day or late in the evenings. No one can deny that despite facing crucial problems the rag-pickers help reduce the environmental burden by retrieving reusable materials from garbage dumps. The time has come that contribution made by these individuals with many having a tender age should receive adequate recognition as well as adequate support because the society owes a lot to this vulnerable community rendering yeomen’s job without any reasonable return.
In the western world, recycling is being taken as an essential component of modern day world living and the society being egalitarian gives due recognition to those taking such jobs in hand but in the oriental society especially in developing countries like India, such kind of recycling is not a choice for a good number of marginalized people rather it is a necessity of life.
Generally, the migrant population after failing to find employment eventually turn to picking rags to support a meager living on the margins of society. The people who keep their eyes open while dwelling in society must know that there are families which make their living by sifting through filth dumps to reclaim garbage and sell the same to scrap dealers, who then process the waste and sell it either for recycling or to be used directly in industry. Besides being thankless job rag picking is also probably one of the most dangerous and dehumanizing jobs.
Rag pickers especially children are working in filthy environments surrounded by stray animals including dogs and have to search through hazardous waste without safety gadgets including gloves or even shoes. These vulnerable members of the modern society have to eat the filthy food remnants they find in the garbage bins or in the dumping ground, which makes their lives more pathetic as they have limited options to survive. Children run the risk of finding hospital wastes as well as hazardous waste including vessels used for storing chemicals, which makes them susceptible to diseases and other complications.
The government should take certain concrete steps to bring this profession into the organized sector or at least ensure basic facilities to these unfortunate people, who are doing a great service to the society, while remaining on the edge and earning only to survive. The aspects which are required to be taken into account include creating formal waste management programmes, offering healthcare to these individuals, and ensuring safe working conditions.
